Bible Passage: “Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble.” (Proverbs 13:20 NLT)
Scripture Reading: Romans 12:2; Ephesians 4:22-24; Colossians 3:1-10
Did you know Play-Doh was created in the 1930s as a wallpaper cleaner to remove coal soot?
After other heating sources replaced coal, sales declined until it was relaunched in 1956 as a children’s toy.
The appeal?
The ability to mold the soft, colorful material however you wanted.
Men outgrow children’s playthings, but our toys just get more sophisticated and, to our wives’ chagrin, more expensive. Whether it’s lawns, carpentry, cars, or other interests, men keep shaping and building.
Tech companies try to mold us into whatever image they want. Devices listen and flood our screens with ads for products. News feeds are tailored to push one-sided perspectives. Content creators lure us with provocative and rage-baiting statements to drive online engagement, amplify messages, and ultimately make money off of us.
Solomon’s wisdom, emphasizing the importance of choosing what influences us, remains relevant today.
The companions we choose profoundly shape us—and are no longer limited to humans. They include digital companions, information at our fingertips, and AI platforms that serve as counselors.
Wisdom, however, is not just about acquiring more knowledge, but about aligning our lives with God’s truth and living under His lordship for our spiritual growth and flourishing.
Paul reminded the church in Rome, “Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God” (Romans 12:2 MSG).
The danger of being shaped by culture is very real today.
Without first stopping to critically assess our technology habits, we can be shaped more by the culture’s image of masculinity than by God.
The tools meant to serve us can become things we cannot function without. The panic when we can’t find our phone, the need to constantly check messages, or scan our news feeds, or scroll our stock portfolios, may be signs that we have become overly tethered to a digital life.
It is important to stop and ask hard questions about what is really influencing and shaping us and what kind of men we are becoming as a result.
In the midst of these pressures, Jesus offers friendship and transformation.
We need not be discipled by an algorithm, for we are not alone in our spiritual formation. If we allow Him to transform our thoughts and actions, we can be molded into the men He created us to be.
Prayer: Lord, open my eyes to the influences in my life that are molding me in ways that are unlike You. Change my heart, O God, so that You can transform me into the man You want me to be. Amen.
Reflection: Reflect on the digital influences in your life that compete for your attention. What would happen if you took a digital fast from a device or deleted an app for a day, a week, or a month? Are you willing to try it?
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